Re: CHAT: Multi-Lingos

>From: "H. S. Teoh" <hsteoh@...>
>Subject: Re: Multi-Lingos
>Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 12:14:32 -0400
>So I wonder how valid is the claim that one's pronunciation is "obviously
>superior". Of course, some Greeks today claim that the pitch accent and
>vowel sounds we think existed in classical Greek are merely a figment of
>the imagination of some eccentric linguistic scholars, and that their
>current pronunciation has "always been" since ancient times. So go figure
>:-)
Oh God. We're not the only ones here in Iceland. The lingo-centric
nationalist bull is a disease to the small countries with small languages.
They just always have to go defensive this way. Have any of you met Basques?
Even worse, have you ever seen a Basque and an Icelander argue over whose
language is "the oldest language in Europe" (a dubious definition too)?

This is one reason why I love Cantonese; there's no "right way to say it"
and just mix in any language you like. Because "prestigious Cantonese"
hardly exists (or at least it's not ever-present in the mind of its
speakers, as in the case of Icelanders and probably Greeks too).

Oskar
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